Tennessee Titans at Jacksonville Jaguars

Two similar teams will face off on Monday night when the Jaguars host the Titans. They’re both 3–2 (just like every team in the AFC South) with offenses centered around a dynamic running back. The Titans have a habit of handing Jacksonville losses just when confidence and morale are at their highest. The Jaguars are looking to avoid that in a game against their division rival.

Keys for the Jaguars
• Lately, the team that runs the ball better has been the one to win this matchup. Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew hasn’t had any injuries serious enough to keep him out of full games, but he’s been banged up fairly often. Against the Colts two weeks ago, Jones-Drew tweaked his ankle. Against the Bills last weekend, he injured his hand and wrist. He said he suffered no structural damage and expects to play on Monday. If he’s limited, the Jaguars have confidence that rookie Deji Karim, who picked up 70 yards in relief of Jones-Drew last weekend, can carry the rushing load.
• The Titans aren’t typically a passing team, but the Jaguars pass defense ranks 29th in the NFL. Though it’s not Tennessee’s forte, Jacksonville will have to make sure the Titans’ passing offense isn’t able to exploit their secondary.

Keys for the Titans
• Tennessee’s defensive line isn’t as heralded as the defensive lines the Jaguars faced against the Colts and Eagles in previous weeks, but the Titans’ ability to disrupt the quarterback has been one of their strengths. Jason Babin has 5.5 sacks and Dave Ball has 4.5 sacks already this season. That’s more than any other pair of defensive ends in the NFL. Making life difficult for Jaguars quarterback David Garrard will be a goal for the Titans.
• Titans quarterback Vince Young has not fared well against the Jaguars. His quarterback rating against Jacksonville is 58.7, and he has only thrown for 818 yards in six games against Jacksonville. That includes a 2007 game in which Young threw for 257 yards, by far his highest total.

The Bottom Line
The Jaguars match up well against the Titans and should have enough offense to win a high-scoring affair. Jaguars 35–30.